Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
BYU
Dougherty's Goal In OT Gives Cowgirls Win
September 15, 2011 | Cowgirl Soccer
Sept. 15, 2011
STILLWATER, Okla. - Colleen Dougherty's first-career goal lifted No. 2 Oklahoma State to a 2-1 overtime win against BYU Thursday night at the Cowgirl Soccer Complex as the Cowgirls equaled the best start to a season in school history.
Dougherty's score came off a corner kick with just 56 seconds left in the first overtime as the ball deflected off a BYU defender and into the back of the net to give OSU its third 10-0-0 start in history. The Cowgirls also opened the 2002 and 2003 seasons with 10-straight wins.
"I was just trying to get it into my teammates, and it just went in," said Dougherty, a senior defender playing in her 82nd career game. "It's exciting. I had to get one in my last season."
OSU head coach Colin Carmichael said the game was a huge test for his squad against a BYU team that fell to 4-2-2 with the loss.
"It was a tough game; the first thing you have to do is say that BYU is a very, very good team," Carmichael said. "They made us work for everything. The game could have gone either way. We had our moments, 10 or 15 minutes where we'd dominate, and then they had their moments. It was an even game, and the stats bear that out.
"That was easily our toughest game of the year... but credit to the girls, they found a way to win the game."
OSU was able to win with several key plays on both sides of the field. In the first 10 minutes of the match, Cowgirl All-American goalie AD Franch, who had missed the previous six games with an injury, made a pair of diving saves to keep the Cougars off the scoreboard.
The Cowgirls would be turned away also. During a seven-second span midway through the half, OSU had three shots in close -- one by Taylor Mathews and two by Miriam Rhinehart -- but each was denied by the defense.
However, the Cowgirls finally got on the scoreboard at the 41:30 mark when Catherine Parish delivered a perfect cross to Elizabeth DeLozier, who headed the ball past BYU goalie McKinzie Olson to give OSU the 1-0 lead. The goal was the second of the season for DeLozier, while Parish recorded her first assist.
Parish also had a standout defensive play in the 84th minute when she saved a shot by Carlee Payne off the line to secure OSU's lead. But that advantage wouldn't last as, just minutes later, Jennie Marshall connected with Jaiden Thornock for the equalizer at the 86:10 mark.
The Cougars carried the momentum into overtime, but both teams had scoring chances before Dougherty set off an OSU celebration with her corner kick goal.
OSU returns to action Sunday when the Cowgirls host Utah State at noon.
